Prison
by M. Castor
Summary: While Risa encounters a very angry echnida and ponders about her isolation, another person ponders about his real-life prison and faces the boy who ruined his life...who might seem familiar. Read after PROLOGUE OF RESOLUTE HEARTS
1. Chapter 1

**Enjoy~**

It must be winter already, why else would I be chilled? Clancy is going to come over to the house and say something along the lines of, "I wanna see what'll be like to fight each other while snowing," and I will reply, "It would be as if we were normally sparring, but slippery," but he would reject my logic and say, "Not if it's windy and the snow is blowin' around everywhere. Come on Risa, you're ruining my image." I will be out in the cold, slashing swords with him until the snow reaches our knees.

The vivid image of me sparring with Clancy is disturbed by the black creatures with yellow eyes that surrounded us on the way back home. Scene by scene, I remember the expression of fear smeared across his face and the panic he felt. I was scared for the both of us.

"_Run!"_

I sit up in shock, gazing to my left and right and absorbing all the objects in my sight, pillars, steps, and grass. The back of my head feels numb…did I fall-no, I am not that careless. Something hit me and knocked me out. I stand up, try to shake the cold feeling off my body, and start to walk up the steps. A very warm light radiates from the pinnacle, making me forget the dreary clouds and sullen drizzle.

"Who is it up there?" I call out before getting to the top. My reply was a gruff grunt and an angry response.

"Hey! I should be asking the questions, not you."

Feeling that my presence might be inappropriate, I hurry backwards down the steps and back away from red menace at the head of the steps. All I can guess is that it is an echidna with red spiky hair, abnormal-sized fists with a pair of points on each, and carries an obvious look of ardent fury.

"What're you doing on Angel Island? If you think you're going to come here and take the Master Emerald, you've got another thing comin'!" he threatens.

After a moment of thought, I surmise, "I think you are severely mistaken."

"Don't lie!"

"I will not."

Abruptly, he leaps from the top and lands a few feet away with me with the intentions of thrashing around like a furious shark. The drizzle taps on top of us

"You're here to take the Master Emerald-for who? Eggman? Rouge?" he assumes irrationally.

"I have no knowledge of the two names you mention," I respond with uneasy sangfroid. Every time I answer his questions, he seems to become further enraged.

"Who are you working for then?"

"No one."

"So you boldly decided to take me on solo, eh?"

"Wait."

"I'm giving you three seconds to leave, or else you're gonna get i-"

"Stop!" We are both astonished by my broken nonchalance tone. My normal, soft-spoken stodgy tone rose to his noise level. "Will you let me explain myself?"

He growls exasperatedly and silently scowls.

"I do not know what a Master Emerald is, nor where this place is and why am I here. Believe me when I say I have no intention of stealing whatever treasure is on this…island. I will reiterate, I. Have. No. Intention. Of. Stealing. Whatever. Treasure. Is. On. This. Island. Am I getting through to you?"

Unwillingly, he drops his fists but folds his arms with an earnest gaze. "Then what're you doing here?"

"I was-"

Do I tell my story? Will he even believe it? He seems to be very difficult to relate to and slow to understand things. But he is still on the verge of violence, I can see it on his face.

"Are you gonna talk or what? You wanted to explain yourself," he impatiently comments. I do not have much of a choice.

"You will not believe me if I tell you, so it will be in vain."

"Try me."

The agonizing twinge in my arm that spreads across my chest cannot be suppressed any longer.


	2. Chapter 2

As expected, he didn't believe me when I told the beginning of the story. But as I continued, skipping the interactions with Clancy, the animosity for Father, and the fight against the Clancy, he might have expressed small amounts of pity-_extremely small amounts_. I assume he was waiting for me to explain how I got to the island, but I told him that part was fuzzy. That was when I realized that I was running away from _him_ last night; I hastily justified my sprint towards the altar and he showed signs of understanding me.

"So you crashed into the island last night, I get it now," he says tentatively. "I thought you were another thief after the Master Emerald."

"I have just disproved your theory. What exactly is a 'Master Emerald'?" I stare back at the green light at the altar. Flustered by the question, he shows the utmost astonishment.

"You're not supposed to know!"

"You have mentioned more than once so far," I observe. "I assume that staying here is out of the question."

"There's _no way_ you can stay here," he quickly concurs. I predicted the disappointment from when I woke up here. I fold my arms, thinking of any other options to go to. But there is no other place I can think of-I am truly alone here.

"I have just one request."

"Wha?"

"Let me think alone, away from your 'Master Emerald'," I say, noticing his face muscles relax when I mentioned I would keep away from his jewel, "and then I will no longer impose on you."

He hums loudly, most likely wondering about my design. "Fine."

'

All that is below this island is the ocean. How could it be possible to be _completely _secluded on a floating island, kept away from civilization? I look up and see the sullen clouds and nearly invisible raindrops; when I look down, I see more clouds and then a vast stretch a blue. There is only one way to leave.

As I start to walk toward the edge of the island, an unfamiliar voice commands me, "Stop." Hurried footsteps stomp behind me, making me wonder what is happening. The echidna stops in his tracks to my left, staring at me in mild disbelief.

"Yes? You told me to stop?"

"What? No I didn't."

Now that I think about it, his voice and the command are two different tones.

"You must've heard the Master Emerald talking to you."

"I thought I was not to know about the 'Master Emerald'?"

"As a," he has trouble saying the word. "Guar-guardian, you have to know about it. Don't ask me, I don't know, but I heard it tell me…you can stay."

I do a stiff curtsy, unable to perceive the news as good or bad. Good because I have shelter but bad because there is nothing but this island out here. It is a shame I cannot ask him how he and his 'Master Emerald' have come to that conclusion.

"Since we are going to be on this island, you should know my name. Risa Willow-Greenhorn."

"Knuckles."

We warily shake hands, forming an awkward truce.

* * *

><p>"Risa? Risa! Risa, where are you? Risa!"<p>

"Your friend isn't here." That voice-it's that guy who got me into this mess!

"Hey, where are ya? Come down here and face me!" I angrily shout. "Whatcha do with Risa?"

"I didn't do anything to her-it was _you_ Clancy."

I feel my face turn pumpkin. My heart beats against my chest wildly as I run around on the hollow squelching ground. "I-called it off! I told you I didn't want it anymore-you lied to me you bastard!"

"First of all," he says in a matter-of-fact tone, "that power that you wanted to banish is something you can't just throw away. Heh, I don't even see why you would wanna throw something like that away. Second, you are the one who destroyed your own world."

"Th-that's not true! Unlike you who endangered that girl you 'care' about, I wouldn't do anything that would hurt Risa-ever!"

A flash grey blurs in front of me and abruptly, I'm being held up by my throat. My stomach churns and my face flushes at the sight of the boy who ruined my life.

"You're going to stand there and throw the stone at the glasshouse?" he demands, strengthening his grip. "I saw what you did to her-to her father, and you're going to call _me_ out?"

I abhor this guy every second of my life. The memory of attacking Risa during the tournament brings my hatred to a standstill. Her face-the blood pouring out…I did do that to her.

"Nngh…" a moan escapes my lips as I struggle to loosen his grip. The light-haired boy smirks at me before dropping me on the wet, rocky ground. I rub my throat, feeling the grip mark he left there.

"Your world, along with mine, is gone," he states coldly, maundering around me. "Unlike you, I have the freedom of going anywhere I want, because I kept that power that your heart is afraid of. Now, I'm going to visit my friend who is probably looking high and low for me while you serve out your punishment." He opens up a Dark portal and slowly walks inside.

"You're gonna tell me where she is and how to get outta here!" I scream vehemently, clenching my fists. I gotta find Risa, no matter what! "You did this to me!"

As he fades away, he faces me with a patronizing glare. "We are no different than the Heartless breeding here Clancy. When you understand that, I'll be here for you."

Sullenly, I drop to my knees and let loose a shriek of fury that I never heard that causes the Heartless around me to disappear. Far off in the distance, the light violet portal illuminates this strange place with a fake light.

**I wonder if anyone got the hints of Clancy's location. We'll see if you're right or wrong, teehee.**


End file.
